Lukas had told Levi that he now had a better understanding of what their father must have gone through when he’d been raising his two daughters.
Luckily, when Amelia heard about those conversations, she’d calmly informed him and Levi that she did not need their permission to have a beau.
“Lukas? Lukas!” Amelia called again, her voice turning sharp. “Stop daydreaming and talk to me.”
“Sorry.” Bracing himself, he said, “It just happens to be Darla who is on my mind.”
She tilted her head to one side. “What about her?”
“Well, we’ve grown apart since the accident, you know,” he said slowly.
“To be sure.”
He shrugged. He hated that he had so many feelings for Darla, none of which was easy for him to describe. But instead of attempting some convoluted explanation about how he felt, he stuck to the simplest one. “I guess I miss her.”
“Of course you do. You used to see her almost every day.”
Hearing Amelia’s matter-of-fact acceptance made him bolder. “I went to the post office a couple of days ago and told her I wanted to stop by her haus one evening and pay her a visit.”
Her brow wrinkled. “I don’t recall you talking about that.”
“Probably because I didn’t talk about it.”
“Okay. Well, how was she?” Her voice darkened. “How was Aaron? And what about their mamm? Has she returned yet? Do they have any idea where she took off to?”
“I can’t answer any of those questions.”
“Because?”
“Because I never went over.”
“Why not?”
“Darla told me she didn’t want me to.”
“That’s too bad.” Amelia forked a bite of coffee cake. “Why didn’t she?”
“I’m not sure.” Remembering the conversation, he said slowly, “I know she’s still grieving.”
“We all are.”
“Jah, but she’s also hurting because of all the rumors.” Shaking his head, he said, “Darla mentioned that there might be questions about the mill’s practices. Like Daed and me or the other supervisors should have been more diligent about everyone’s safety.” After taking another bite of eggs, he said, “If you want to know the truth, I think she was quoting Aaron.”
Pushing her plate away, Amelia leaned back in her chair, propping one bare foot on the seat of the facing chair. “I don’t want to be mean, but I canna say that I am surprised. The way he’s been scowling at most everyone and anyone . . . he’d scare off snakes in his fields.”
Lukas couldn’t help but grin at the comment. “You might be right about that. He has been mighty upset with the world.”
“Which makes me wonder why Hope Mast said yes to him. When I told Aaron congratulations after church, the look he gave me was lethal.”
Indignation hit him, heavy and hard. “He had no call to be mean to you.”
“Settle down, bruder. Aaron merely glared, and I can handle that. I could even handle him saying something mean. I’m tougher than I look.”
“You shouldn’t have to be. It’s my job to look after you.” He knew he sounded a bit overprotective, but he couldn’t help himself. She was his little sister and their parents were gone. Their mamm had passed away from a heart condition. Now, with Daed gone, too, someone needed to make sure she was taken care of.
As was her way, she ignored his concerns. Glancing toward the stairs, Amelia leaned closer. “You know as well as I do that Aaron has always taken advantage of Darla. Furthermore, he works for ya, now. He should be respectful to her.”
“I don’t know if I should mention that to him.”
“It doesn’t matter. You are his boss. That’s a fact. Just as it’s a fact that Aaron has always treated Darla shabbily.”
“You’ve thought that?” He was kind of shocked. Amelia was so kindhearted that he and Rebecca often teased her, saying she was far too sweet to be a Kinsinger.
“Of course. Who wouldn’t think that?” she retorted. “You and I both know he’s lazy.”
Lukas set down his fork before he took a bite and choked. “You think Aaron’s lazy?”
“To be sure. He was lazy in school, and more than once I heard him bully Darla into doing his work.” Her voice hardened. “And now he’s marrying that Hope Mast. Part of me feels like I should talk to that girl and try to figure out why she said yes. She’s going to need to go into that marriage with her eyes wide open.”
“Please do not. Aaron doesn’t have anything good to say about our family as it is.”
“Since when do you pay any mind to what Aaron Kurtz thinks?”
“That’s kind of bold!”
“Lukas, you shouldn’t worry so much about offending Aaron. It ain’t like he is suddenly going to become nice if we don’t say anything.”
“Oh, I am so glad you are talking about Darla and Aaron Kurtz.” Rebecca’s voice floated down the hall. “Did either of you spy her expression when the preacher announced the engagement?”
“I did,” Lukas said. “She looked upset.”
“She looked more than that,” Amelia interjected. “She looked like she was about to break in two, poor girl.”
“I thought the same thing,” Rebecca said as she walked directly to the coffeepot and poured herself a generous cup. After taking a fortifying sip—she’d never cared for milk or sugar—she sat across from Lukas and reached for the blueberry cake. “It broke my heart, it did.”
“I am starting to worry about Darla,” Lukas finally said.
“It’s no wonder. She has all the burdens of that family on her tiny shoulders,” Rebecca added. “I imagine it’s a heavy load, too.”
Amelia shook her head. “Becky. That ain’t kind.”
“I’m not being unkind, merely stating the facts. Darla is a tiny thing. I often feel like a giant next to her. I can’t imagine how you feel, Lukas.”
Since he’d always felt like she needed him, needed someone to lift her burdens and look after her, he said nothing. There were some things brothers didn’t tell their sisters unless they wanted to be made fun of.
After Rebecca stood up and refilled her cup—she drank coffee like it was a food group—she looked at Lukas curiously. “So, what are you going to do about Darla?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s the wrong answer. You need to reach out.”
“He did. She didn’t want his help,” Amelia said.
“It’s true. I did. She told me that we needed to stay apart.”
Rebecca carefully cut a small portion of her coffee cake and speared it with her fork. “Lukas, do you remember when we were nine and went hiking with Darla and Aaron?”
They’d always run around together. Actually, he had so many memories laced with Darla that he could hardly recall moments in his childhood when she hadn’t been present. “We hiked all the time. Are you referring to a specific instance, Beck?”
“When we were near that creek.”
“I remember that,” Levi interjected as he joined them, pulling the juice out of the refrigerator. “Aaron had crossed right away. So had Becky and me.”
“I was trying to go across,” Amelia said. “But it was kinda deep.”
“You were too small,” Levi said. “I met you halfway and held your hand.”
“Even though you were younger, you were bigger,” Amelia said with a grin.
“And even back then Daed would have whipped me good if I hadn’t kept you safe.” Levi chuckled. “I learned by the time I was five or six to always look out for you.” He held up a hand. “And before you go apologizing for that, stop. I didn’t mind.”
“Anyway,” Rebecca said under her breath.
“Anyway, Darla started saying that she was going to go back home. Then you discovered she couldn’t swim,” Levi said to Lukas. “So you told her to hop on your back and you carried her across.”
“And then, over the next few weeks, you taught her how to swim,” Amelia said softly.
“Which I am still kind of surprised her parents let you do, seeing how it wasn’t very appropriate,” Rebecca said as she started measuring out coffee grounds for a fresh pot of coffee.
“I was eleven, she was just nine. Nothing improper happened,” Lukas said. “And I had to teach her. Someone had to.” He frowned, thinking of how brave she’d been, wearing an old T-shirt and shorts that Levi had borrowed from one of his English friends. The pond nearby had been cold in the early morning hours when they’d met, but she’d hardly complained.
Done eating, Lukas stood up and carried his plate to the sink. He felt mildly uncomfortable now. He’d never felt closer to Darla than when she’d lain in his arms in the water and put her trust in him. The moment she’d let go and floated by herself had been wonderful. Now he could hardly get through a conversation with her at the post office.
“This was a fun trip down memory lane, but it doesn’t help me understand why you brought it up, Becky.”
“To remind you that Darla doesn’t do anything for herself. She’s going to put everyone else’s needs ahead of her own. She always has and probably always will.”
“Unless she’s with you, Lukas,” Amelia said with a soft smile. “She’s always trusted you more than just about anyone. And because of that trust and the friendship you share, she’s also always put your needs ahead of her own.”
He frowned. “But that doesn’t sound any different from how she is with the rest of the world.”
“There’s a difference. You always put her needs first,” Rebecca said. “You care about her happiness.”
It all sounded convoluted, but on the other hand, it didn’t sound unfamiliar. “So what you all are saying is that I need to go over and talk to Darla.”
“No you don’t,” Levi blurted.
“Levi, stop,” Becky said. “The fire wasn’t her daed’s fault.”
“I’m not saying you should be rude to Darla. But I surely don’t think you need to be the one to look after her. And you really don’t need to go to her house and deal with her siblings.”
“They aren’t that bad,” Amelia said.
“Oh, yes they are,” Levi retorted. “They’re a difficult lot, and that’s putting it mildly.”
“Then what should I do?” Lukas was starting to lose patience with this conversation.
“You need to ask her to meet you somewhere,” Amelia said.
“Such as?”
After a moment, Rebecca said, “Take Darla to the creek.”
“I am not taking her swimming.” He gulped. Did he sound as stunned and embarrassed as he thought?
“Go walking, not swimming,” Rebecca said. “Being there will remind her of how much you both have in common. She’ll remember that she trusts you.”
Levi nodded as he took the last of everything on Amelia’s serving platters. “Becky has a gut plan.”
“Wait a minute. I didn’t think you wanted me to have anything to do with her.”
“I didn’t,” Levi said. “But I also feel kind of sorry for her.”
Amelia nodded. “I wasn’t sure how I felt about her either . . . until I saw her face when Aaron and Hope were celebrating after church.”
“Wait a minute, I didn’t see her then,” Rebecca said. “What did she look like?”
“I saw her standing off in a corner,” Amelia said. “Darla looked like she felt all alone.”
“Maybe she is.” Feeling guilty, Lukas added, “It’s been so hard, dealing with the company and the funerals and Daed’s loss. Because of that, I’ve kept my distance from her. Now I wish I had reached out to her more.”
“I haven’t exactly been friendly, either,” Rebecca said. “But what we gotta remember is that what happened that day at the mill wasn’t our fault and it sure wasn’t Darla’s.”
Though he noticed Levi hadn’t quite jumped to Darla’s defense, Lukas was relieved to note that his brother hadn’t seemed as angry, either. That gave him hope.
After washing and drying his dish, he nodded. “You all convinced me. I’m going to go back to that post office and ask her to walk to the creek with me.”
“I think that is a fine idea, Lukas,” Amelia said with a smile. “I’ll say a prayer today that it goes all right.”
“Danke.” Then, just to lighten the mood, he added, “Before I forget, Levi and I were approached by Ben Miller yesterday at the mill.”
“About what?” Amelia asked.
“About you, of course.” Looking put out, Levi said, “He wanted permission to come courting.”
As Lukas expected, Amelia’s cheeks turned bright red. “Ben? Isn’t he old?”
“He’s almost thirty,” Rebecca said. “And a widower. With two kinner.”
Amelia bit her lip. “What did you tell him?”
Lukas grinned at Levi. “Absolutely not.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You told Ben no without even talking to me?”
“He ain’t the man for you, Amelia,” Levi said gently.
“He’s too old and he wasn’t looking for you; he was looking for a babysitter. There’s no way I’m going to let him even think that’s all right with me,” Lukas added. When he noticed that Amelia was still working her bottom lip in that way she did when she was stewing on something, he forced himself to sit down by her side and talk about things. “You don’t mind that we told Ben that, do ya? I mean, I didn’t think you had any feelings for him.”
“She doesn’t,” Levi said, then paused and eyed Amelia more closely. “I mean, you don’t, do you, Amy? I sure don’t recall you ever mentioning his name.”
“I don’t. Ben is a nice man, but he’s not for me.” Looking embarrassed, she darted a concerned look at Rebecca. “Did he ask about Becky, too?”
Lukas was confused. “Nee. Why do you ask?”
“Because she’s worried about me getting my feelings hurt,” Rebecca interjected with a smile.
Amelia blushed bright red. “I didn’t mean—”
Rebecca cut her off with an easy laugh. “Don’t get spun up, Amy. I promise, I’m not hurt in the slightest.” She tossed her head.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Amelia, always one to wear her heart on her sleeve, looked unsure. “Becky, I just wanna say that you are real special. You are going to make a wonderful wife.”
“One day,” Lukas muttered. “One day in the future.”
“Hush, Lukas,” Rebecca ordered with a grin. “The men at the mill know that I’d never court a man who couldn’t approach me himself anyway. They also have a pretty good idea that I’d never be interested in a man who works at the mill.”
“Oh?” Amelia nibbled that bottom lip again. “Do you think I shouldn’t ever date a man who works at the mill?”
“Nee. Our situations are much different. I work there. I’m around those men all day. You are not.”
Lukas winced. He’d known Rebecca had jumped into her work at the mill because Daed had asked her to and now because he and Levi needed her help. However, her heart was with kinner. If she had her way, she’d be Charm Amish School’s newest teacher instead of Kinsinger Mill’s main receptionist. “You won’t have to work there forever, Becky.”
“I’m happy to help in any way I can, Lukas. You know that.” Turning back to Amelia, her tone softened. “Amelia, I know you get tired of it, but we’re all used to looking out for you.”
“Jah, but it ain’t necessary. I am not a baby. I can look after myself, too.”
“You are right. Furthermore, I reckon the day will come when you don’t need us running interference between you and half the population,” Levi said as he walked to the sink and washed his dish. “But that day ain’t today. Let us fend off the men for ya.”
“Men aren’t as interested in me as you make it sound.”
“Oh, yes they are.” Rebecca smirked.
“Ignore our teasing and let us help you for a little while longer,” Lukas said. “It makes us feel useful.”
“Don’t say no to all the men, Lukas.”
Because she looked a bit dismayed, Lukas reached out and gently squeezed her shoulders. “Don’t worry, Amelia. One day the right man will come along. It, uh, just ain’t Ben Miller.”
Chapter 6
March 25
If she didn’t increase her pace, Hannah knew she was going to be late to her job. And if that happened, it would be a disaster. Mornings with Mr. and Mrs. Ross tended to be a bit chaotic. They ran around handing her Post-it notes and index cards filled with detailed instructions for Christopher. And if she wasn’t there right on time, they started thinking something had happened to her.
They were rather high-strung.
Just as she was about to turn onto their street, she spied a dog running toward her. Realizing that it was all alone and not on a leash made panic rise in her chest. She was afraid of dogs. Large, small, noisy, quiet . . . it didn’t matter. Her fear encompassed all of them.
But this one was large and black and had a silver chain collar. It looked stronger than she was. It could no doubt knock her over without a moment’s hesitation. More than likely, it would do much worse than that.
Though her brain was telling her body to move, to seek safety, it didn’t seem like her legs were of a mind to listen. She couldn’t do anything but stare as it loped closer and closer. When it was about two yards away, it slowed. Its black eyes stared at her curiously, its black nose sniffing the air. It whined.
Glad that it wasn’t baring its teeth, Hannah noticed twin red tags hanging from its collar. She took a deep breath. Perhaps, it wasn’t prepared to eat her. Perhaps, it was lost.
“Easy, hund,” she whispered as she took two steps backward.
Watching her, it tilted its head. Then, without warning, it started barking.
And just like that, Hannah froze in place again. What was she going to do?
“Rose! Rose, come here!”
Though Hannah hated to look away from the dog, her instincts caught hold of her and she looked around anxiously. Was there a little girl in the fierce dog’s path? She didn’t see anyone other than a man about her age trotting down the street, a bright red mesh leash in his hand.
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